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Woman said to be possessed by poltergeist; deputies respond

Jun 12, 2013 - By Katie Roenigk, Staff Writer

Fremont County deputies had a brush with the paranormal Tuesday when they responded to reports that a woman was possessed by a "poltergeist" in a home north of Riverton.

Occupants of the residence on Firethorn Lane called law enforcement just before 8 p.m. Tuesday to say the woman had stopped breathing after being sprayed with holy water.

"Other occupants of the home then attempted to perform an exorcism," Undersheriff Ryan Lee said in a press release. "They reported the exorcism activity caused the female to go into cardiac arrest."

When officials arrived at the home, they said the 31-year-old woman was breathing normally. She was transported to Riverton Memorial Hospital for "unknown reasons" and was reported to be in stable condition there.

Poltergeist

A poltergeist is defined as a ghost or spirit that announces its presence through noises and knocking sounds. Lee said the residents on Firethorn Lane told deputies "a demon had been in the home breaking windows and dishes, as well as biting the occupants of the home for the last two days."

"They asked a deputy sheriff to look into the matter," Lee said. "The deputy was unable to substantiate any criminal activity, or that anyone had been bitten."

He said the sheriff's office does not investigate supernatural occurrences, but deputies are ready to assist any resident who asks for help.

"Any time someone requests our assistance we'll respond and take care of them, that's our obligation to the community," Lee said. "If there are still issues out there (on Firethorn) we'll be out later to deal with it. If they call again we're there to help them out."

Initial reports stated the affected woman was unconscious, and her breathing was described as "ineffective." At 8 p.m. a reporting party stated that "they were exorcising a poltergeist."

At 8:03 p.m. the report states "the type of situation is completely unknown." Emergency medical responders reportedly arrived at the scene at 8:04 p.m. At 8:45 p.m., dispatchers reportedly heard subjects talking about doing CPR.